Food for Thought: Super Bowl party

Tuesday

Jan 31, 2012 at 12:01 AMJan 31, 2012 at 4:31 PM

Weekly Food for Thought with tips on throwing a Super Bowl party, "Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi" by Yotam Ottolenghi and more.

From the pre-game hype to the half-time entertainment to the commercials, Super Bowl Sunday has become one of the biggest social events of the year. In fact, it’s the second-biggest eating day behind Thanksgiving and ranks No. 1 in snack food consumption.

Check out these Super Bowl stats from TreeHugger.com:

8 million: Total pounds of popcorn consumed.
53.5 million: Pounds of avocados consumed.
11.8 feet: Depth of guacamole consumed if it were spread across the football field.
1 billion: Number of chicken wings consumed.
493: Number of Olympic-sized swimming pools that could be filled with all the beer drank.

Here are some tips for your game day planning:

Keep it simple. Purchase pre-made items like meatballs, chicken wings and party dips to cut down on your prep time. Add some pizzazz by using a variety of dipping sauces for the meatballs and wings.

Bring out food in staggered times. During the pre-game, begin with snack foods like cheese and crackers, chips and dips, party mix and sliders. At half time, add a pot of chili or a taco bar. Then, in the fourth quarter, bring out the desserts.

Create a football field cake. Add green food coloring to coconut, and sprinkle generously over a sheet cake. Fill a plastic sandwich bag with white icing, cut a small corner at one of the tips of the bag, and pipe the yard lines and end zones onto the cake. Make goal posts on each end of the cake with Rice Krispie Treat bars.

-- GFS Marketplace

Tip of the Week: Slightly less lactose in goat's milk

There is slightly less lactose in goat's milk than in cow's milk: 9 grams compared with 12 grams. If you are lactose intolerant and want to try goat's milk, start with a small serving at mealtime. However, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, people with milk allergies are advised to avoid goat's milk, too.

Cut small slit in bottom of each fig. In small saucepan, heat sugar and water over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Stir in brandy and figs. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Drain figs, cool and dry thoroughly.

Stuff one or two pieces of ginger, nuts and/or chocolate into each fig. Place chopped chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat on medium until almost melted, stirring often. Remove, and stir until melted. Hold stems, and dip in chocolate. Place on wax paper-lined tray until dry. Decorate with white chocolate or nuts. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

-- Family Features/ www.ValleyFig.com

Did You Know?

February is Avocado and Banana Month, Grapefruit Month, Strawberry Month, Sweet Potato Month and Bake for Family Fun Month.

Food Quiz

What year was the Twinkie invented?

A. 1925
B. 1935
C. 1930
D. 1940

-- funtrivia.com

Answer is at bottom of column

Wise to the Word: Mai tai

[MI-ti] A potent, complex mixed drink made with light and dark rums, orgeat syrup, curacao, orange and lime juices and any other touches the bartender might add. It's served over ice and garnished with a skewer of fresh fruit. It is said to have been created by Victor Bergeron, the original owner of Trader Vic's restaurant, who said he created it for a couple of Tahitian friends. On tasting it, they reportedly exclaimed, "Mai Tai!" meaning "out of this world."

Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the most exciting new talents in the cooking world, with four fabulous, eponymous London restaurants and a weekly newspaper column that's read by foodies all over the world. Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the most exciting new talents in the cooking world, with four fabulous, eponymous London restaurants and a weekly newspaper column that's read by foodies all over the world.

-- Chronicle Books LLC

From the Beer Nut’s Blog: Dark Horse, Dogfish Head

This year, Dark Horse Brewing Company from Michigan will be bringing back its Thirsty Trout Porter and will debut its Kamita Kolsch, which it is calling a “Polish-style Kolsch.” At the Extreme Beer Fest in Boston in February, it will debut Monster 29, a barleywine brewed in memory of the sailors who died in the Edmund Fitzgerald wreck.

Meanwhile, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery from Delaware has made a change to its lineup, making Burton Baton, which was previously an occasional release, into a year-round beer. It will also release a beer only known as “Brand X” some time this year. The style and when it will be released is not known.

To read more from the Beer Nut, visit http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/beernut/.

Food Quiz Answer

C. 1930

GateHouse News Service

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